Nightfall:Ghosts
AM Omniance: May 29th 8:00 p.m. Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Budget Apartments AM Omniance: Fred: She's standing in the hall, going through her mail, looking from letter to letter. It's almost entirely just junk mail. She leans back against the wall and looks up at the ceiling as she drops her hands to her sides. Her mind wanders back to Marcus, and then follows through to the final moments before he vanished. About nine days ago... Marcus is laying on the floor of the impound garage, his mouth covered in blood, for a moment Fred watches him look up at her, and then he's suddenly gone, as if he weren't even there to begin with. Odie: His green eyes dart back and forth, and he reaches down and puts his hand on the floor where Marcus was. ...Where'd he go? He's suddenly slammed in the side and sent crashing into another car. Fred: You killed him! She has a wildness to her eyes, and an obvious anger, but it almost immediately fades as it turns to sadness and her eyes continue to water as she looks to the spot Marcus was at, she falls to her knees and runs her fingers over the cement. Odie: He lets out a groan and grabs his side where she hit him. He groans. ...Jesus... I should've fucking known... Something like this would happen. He pushes off the car. Fred: She turns her head and her eyes, once again wild as her hair falls around her face, glare at Odie. You couldn't just leave it be?! She gets up and runs at Odie with uncanny speed, and her fist slams down at his face. Odie: He watches her rush him, and she punches at him with a sloppy and obviously unpracticed motion, but he doesn't take a chance of getting his face smashed in after she knocked him a good ten feet a moment ago, and he scatters into a white-blue mist just as her punch is about to connect, and it slams down into the hood of the car instead, denting it and causing the front window to crack. The mist rushes passed Fred and reforms a good ten feet away, back into Odie. Fred: She turns and glares at him with her wild eyes, but the anger quickly vanishes as she sees Odie holding a small revolver, which is pointed at her. Odie: He nods slowly, hunched a little from his side still hurting so badly. So the old curse still stands true, huh? Every pretty girl I meet, eventually tries to kill me. Fred: She slowly turns all the way around to face him. Odie: Let's have a talk. About three hours later... Fred: She's handcuffed to a radiator with four pairs of handcuffs, in a rundown motel room somewhere on the other side of town. Odie: So he's a ghost then? He's sitting at a small table writing things down on a notepad, there's a corkboard on one of the walls with a bunch of red string connecting pictures of people and places, Thomas is near the center, along with a blurry picture of Wolfe and a few others Fred doesn't recognize. Fred: I said I don't know. She's resting her head against the radiator. He'd be in pain whenever anyone would bring up what actually happened, and if it got really back he would start disappearing. Odie: So that just leaves you then. What are you? Demonic? Fred: What? She looks at him like he's almost insane. Odie: Witch? Fred: She just stares at him. Her eyeliner has run down her face, and her hair is messed up. It makes her look rather imposing. Odie: He takes a deep breath. Demon spawn, Warlock... He shrugs. Half snake? Fred: What the fuck are you even talking about? She closes her eyes, she just wants to go home and be alone. Odie: You're not very good at playing dumb. What the hell are you? Fred: I'm not telling you. She sighs and rest s her head back against the radiator. Are you gonna let me go or do I have to start screaming? I've answered your questions. Odie: He grabs a camera and points it at her. If you give me a smile. Fred: She looks at him just as a flash goes off. Odie: A polaroid winds out of the camera and he grabs it, putting the camera down and standing up as he shakes the picture to develop it faster. He walks over to his wall and pins the picture to the corkboard near Thomas. There's something going on in this town. Some big conspiracy, and I don't think even you know what you've gotten yourself into. He pulls a set of keys from his pocket and walks over to Fred to free her. AM Omniance: Back in the present... Andrei: Hey Fred, where is rent? You are three days let now. He's a large fat Russian man in a cheap button-up shirt. He has an accent but it's not too bad. Fred: She snaps from her memory and looks at her landlord. I'll have it for you tomorrow. Andrei: You say that last two days, Fred. I want rent now or I give you notice. He sounds annoyed. Fred: She narrows her eyes. You don't want it now. You want to wait and ask for it tomorrow. Andrei: He pauses. ...Right. You have rent for me tomorrow Fred, or I evict. Twenty four hours! No more! He turns and walks into the laundry room. Fred: She rolls her eyes and turns walking up the hall. Stacy's door it open, so she tries to sneak passed. She's been avoiding Stacy since Marcus's funeral, it was during the morning so she obviously couldn't attend. Stacy: She yells out to Fred. Hey I'm making margaritas! Fred: She stops walking and sighs. She's thirsty, but not for liquor. She slowly turns and looks at Stacy. ...Yeah? Stacy sounds friendly, but she knows she's going to get admonished for not going to the funeral. Stacy: Don't make me drink alone? A few minutes later they're both sitting on Stacy's counch. Stacy: What a shitty fucking week this has been. She slouches until she rests her head on Fred's shoulder. I really want some ice cream. Fred: I thought you'd be mad that I didn't go with you... To the funeral. Stacy: She shakes her head slowly. I was at first but... Now I realized that you couldn't handle it... She closes her eyes, she's already almost finished her margarita. Fred hasn't touched hers. Fred: She says solemnly. ...Yeah. AM Arbi: The downstairs door can be heard opening followed by two pairs of footsteps. They can hear one of them speaking outside in the hallway while they walk. Feliks: He's walking upstairs with Andrei to check out the vacant apartment room. The young man following behind the landlord looks to be about 5'9", has brown hair and appears to be European. He's wearing a black shirt with white art on the front, possibly referencing one of his favorite bands. He has an obvious polish accent. Walking upstairs everyday must be really fun. He glances at Stacy's apartment door as they pass it. AM Omniance: Andrei: Is good exercise. Young man who lived here before was in good shape. He pulls out a few keys as they make their way up the stairs. He starts breathing heavily halfway up. Stacy: She sighs as she looks to her door. The walls here are thin. Sounds like the landlard is still whoring out Marcus's room. Fred: She looks down. ...Yeah. Andrei: He coughs as they reach the top of the steps. He's completely out of breath, and puts his hand on the wall as he hobbles towards Marcus's old apartment. ...Good... It... It good for the heart... He coughs again as they reach the door. He jumbles through the keys and opens the door into the empty apartment. He steps in and quickly leans on the kitchen counter. S-small... But comfy. AM | Edited 3:18:26 AM Arbi: Feliks: He just watches the landlord, thinking he may just fall over from a heart attack before he follows him inside.. The young man walks up to the middle of the room and looks around, raising his cigarette up to his mouth as he narrows his eyes. I like it. AM Omniance: Andrei: Very good. He takes a key off his key ring. Security deposit is seventy dollar. Rent due every Friday. He rubs his chest and holds out the key. AM Arbi: Feliks: He's about to take the key but hears something and looks towards the kitchen cabinets, he looked more interested than scared. He raises his cigarette back to his lips and walks into the kitchen, which is literally only a few steps away. What happened to the last guy that was here? AM | Edited 3:25:34 AM Omniance: Andrei: Don't know too much. Heard he was in big car accident, then maybe move away. He wipes his forehead. Ladies here don't talk to me so don't know. AM Arbi: Feliks: He opens one of the cabinets as Andrei is speaking, it's empty inside except for a empty pack of protein powder. After slowly closing it he looks back at the big man, he almost looks like he doesn't believe him for a second. It's a very nice room. I'm lucky to be the first to grab it. He smiles and shakes Andrei's hand before taking the key. AM Omniance: Andrei: Young man who lived here kept it very clean. If you have questions, number is on card I give you earlier. He sighs, heading for the door. Rent due on Friday. Seventy dollar deposit, I need that by tomorrow. He turns and starts heading out the door. I am very tired, so excuse me please. Need to rest. He makes his way out into the hall. AM | Edited 3:39:59 AM Arbi: Feliks: He walks up the doorway and stands there, looking down the hallway towards the first door they passed. His cigarette lights as he inhales from it before deciding to follow Andrei downstairs so he can leave to get his things for his new apartment. AM Omniance: Stacy: She watches the two of them pass through the crack in the door. If he's an ass we'll run him out of this place... Fred: ...Yeah... This high class establishment is too good for low-lives... She grabs her margarita and drinks from it. Stacy: Well even though we live in a shithole, it's our shithole. AM Omniance: About two hours later... Fred: She's in a small 24/hour market on the corner of her block, it's almost like a gas station, and she's going through one of the freezers. The cold used to bother her, but now she doesn't even feel it. She wonders why she bothers buying food at all anymore, since what she drinks isn't exactly sold on a shelf, but it's a habit she likes. It keeps her feeling somewhat normal. She picks up a small box of a half-dozen eggs and puts them into the little red basket with a few other things like milk, butter, and a small tub of ice cream, then closes the door to the refrigerator and moves down the, looking through the glass at the rest of the items until she stops at the frozen pizzas, looking at the kind they have. AM Arbi: Fred catches a reflection in the glass while she's looking at the frozen pizzas, she sees the familiar face of her passed friend. Marcus is standing behind her, he looks tired but he looks exactly the same as he did when they went to the police station over a week ago. AM Omniance: Fred: Her eyes widen, and she immediately turns around. Marcus?! AM Arbi: Marcus: He sighs out quietly, closing his eyes as he feels sad but still happy to see Fred again. He doesn't say anything, at a loss for words. AM Omniance: Fred: Marcus! She drops her basket, causing the eggs to crack, and the sticks of butter to bounce out over the floor. She runs over, grabbing onto him. You're here. She hugs him, like she's trying to make sure he's real. AM Arbi: About five minutes later the two of them are walking down alongside the dark waters of Santa Monica's beach. Marcus asked Fred for some privacy to talk her and their short walk outside lead them to the nearby beach. There's almost no one around and the moon keeps it lit enough for them to see where they're going. Marcus: I know the truth, Fred but I... I don't know what to think. He keeps looking down at the sand while they're walking. AM Omniance: Fred: The truth? ...That you're... She looks away. AM Arbi: Marcus: Yeah... He looks up at her when she turns to look away. But I'm still here, if that means anything... AM Omniance: Fred: Does it have to mean anything? She looks to him. AM Arbi: Marcus: He stops walking and looks at her, despite being a ghost he looks as real as anyone else. Even the light from the moon can be seen in his eyes reflection. I don't know how any of this works, Fred but... I know I feel drawn to you now more than ever. He almost starts to walk away as if he was shy or just uncomfortable but he stays put. I feel like... if I stay close to you I'll figure out why I'm still here. AM Omniance: Fred: Then stay close to me... She looks down. ...If there's a reason at all... We'll find it together, and even if we don't... As long as you're here... She trails off. AM Arbi: Marcus: He turns to look towards the moonlit ocean in front of them. Just watching the waves and seeing the large moon above is enough to calm his nerves, he hesitates but after a moment he places his arm around Fred's back and pulls her a little closer while silently taking in the view. For the moment he doesn't care about anything else as long as he gets to spend time with the girl he's never had the courage to be with. AM Omniance: The next night... Stacy: She's in Fred's apartment, she asked to borrow some lipstick. So where'd you go all last night, you said you were going to the market then you never came back. Fred: I took a walk on the beach, just to clear my mind. She's in her bathroom. Stacy: You know your make-up has been spot-on the last two weeks. I mean, I always liked it, but lately you've perfected it, what's your secret? Fred: I wasn't paying much attention to it before I guess. She walks out of the bathroom with her black lipstick. So why black? Stacy: She takes the stick. I dunno, been in a goth-y mood, ya know? Thought I might as well try something new anyway. She sighs. AM Omniance: Fred: She idly thinks about Marcus for a moment, wondering if she should try to even tell Stacy. Stacy: Have you talked to Feliks yet? Fred: No, he nice? Stacy: I think he's polish or something. Fred: ...That a yes or no? Stacy: She shrugs. Anyway I gotta get going, Calypso asked me to bartend tonight. She holds up the lipstick. So you in the morning? Fred: ...Yeah. Maybe. Don't overdo the eyeliner, alright? You don't need to look like a vampire or something. Stacy: Are you kidding? With my complexion? She shakes her head and turns, moving towards the door. You're the one that needs a tan. When was the last time you even saw the sun? Fred: ...Few weeks ago I think. She suddenly has an idea, it's not the best one, but it's better than nothing. About an hour later... Fred: She knocks loudly on the door to a motel room. She looks over to Marcus. ...Hopefully he won't make you don't disappear this time... She smiles solemnly up at Marcus. AM | Edited 4:55:11 AM Arbi: Marcus: He trusts Fred but he still feels weird seeing Odie again. He isn't sure how to respond so he just waits for the rookie to answer his door. AM Omniance: Odie: He opens the door after a moment. His left arm is in a sling. He looks down to Fred, then Marcus. He narrows his eyes. ...Hi. Fred: Marcus needs a place to stay. Odie: He raises an eyebrow. I live in a tiny motel room... Is that why you're here? He looks outside, there's some old man watching them down the way. Come in and we'll... Talk about how this isn't going to happen. He turns and let's them in, shutting the door behind them. So you're back, again? He looks to Marcus. Then these broken ribs were for nothing... He moves arm in his sling a little. AM Arbi: Marcus: He raises an eyebrow as he looks down at the sling, knowing he didn't hurt him and that Fred couldn't have hurt him. Broken ribs? You must've made someone really angry. AM Omniance: Odie: Your girlfriend punched me so hard she broke six of them. He looks at Fred and walks over to his desk, sitting against it. AM Arbi: Marcus: He looks back at her, not believing Odie for a second but feels like it would be impressive if she actually did manage that. Really? AM Omniance: Fred: I reacted violently to your... Disappearance. Odie: So you don't know what she is either, huh? He looks from Marcus to Fred. Seems Winifred Lenover has a lot of secrets, like her real name. Fred: That is my real name. She narrows her eyes at Odie. Odie: There's no Winifred Lenover registered, born anywhere in California. Fred: I was born in New York you moron. She stares at him like he's an idiot. Odie: ...Oh. He looks up, thinking for a moment, then looks down and nods slightly. AM Arbi: Marcus: He isn't sure at all what Odie means when he says "What she is", he starts getting curious to why none of this freaks him out at all. How did you know I was a ghost? AM | Edited 5:19:32 AM Omniance: Odie: Because your corpse was in the car. I just... thought you guys were trying to hide it, or something else. He looks to Fred. Which in some cases you are... Anyway. Stacy or Ricky might've told you that I used to work as a junior detective in High School, it was at a paranormal detective agency. Fred: So your one of those fucking ghost hunter losers and you were just happy to stumble across the real thing. Odie: Nah, never hunted ghosts, plenty of other weird things in the world... Weirder things, which is why a ghost and... Whatever you're supposed to be, aren't all that surprising to me. AM Arbi: Marcus: Look, I just need somewhere to crash during the day. I can't be walking around outside all the time... someone might notice me and people will start talking. AM Omniance: Odie: He raises an eyebrow at him. Alright. He sighs. I guess it's my fault this happened... Sorta. He looks at Fred. Fred: ...It's my fault I didn't tell a cop my friend was a ghost? Odie: Whatever, as long as you don't punch me again... He looks to Marcus. I'm usually out all day, but I work here at night... Not sure you're my size, or if you're like any of my shirts... So uhh... You'll need your own clothes... If you even sweat or... Get dirty or anything. AM Arbi: Marcus: I'm not sure, I'm still new to all this. I don't think I... have to eat? AM Omniance: Odie: Well, how about as part of the agreement is we try and figure out the extent of your... Situation? He shrugs. AM Arbi: Marcus: He glances back at Fred before looking back at him and nodding. Sounds good to me. AM Omniance: Fred: She's looking at the corkboard on the wall with all of the pictures. There's a lot more around Thomas. ...You know where Thomas is? Odie: He looks back at the corkboard. I thought I did. He points to what looks like a picture of a small vineyard. Everything points to him being hidden there, but I went two nights ago and didn't find anything, even after snooping around for hours. He drops his hand back down. There was a few guards though, and I saw the woman in the business dress through a window. He looks to Marcus. So even if he's not there, the place is defiantly affiliated with whoever took him. AM | Edited 5:47:25 AM Arbi: Marcus: He walks up to the corkboard and takes a closer look at one of the pictures. Barbara Sloan... He remembers her librarian outfit and how she tried to get into the nightclub before. The security cameras at the Flagship should've caught her escaping with the other woman... Priscilla. He looks back at Odie. Isn't that enough to arrest her? AM Omniance: Odie: You would think so, but we "don't have enough evidence". Someone has a higher up in their back pocket, so I've been on my own this entire time. To make matters worse, the tapes we got from the Flagship were erased. Someone "accidentally" put an enormous magnet next to them in the evidence room. He shakes his head. Someone who knows the security number on the pin for the room. He shakes his head. But honestly, I don't know who it is. I've gotten pretty good at telling when someone is hiding something, and I just don't see it when I talk to anyone at the precinct. AM | Edited 6:03:03 AM Arbi: Marcus: Just another reason not to trust the cops. He sees a picture of someone named Christopher, noticing he's grouped up with Wolfe And Sloan. Who's this? AM Omniance: Odie: Not really sure. I think he might've been the driver of the hummer that... He looks at Marcus for a moment, then back to the picture. ...Killed you. We have a really blurry traffic light photo of a guy getting out of the hummer that... Sorta looks like him. AM Arbi: Marcus: He just stares at the photo. I've never seen him before in my life... why would he want to kill me? AM Omniance: Odie: Don't know. I'm still confused with the details of any of this. I don't even know why they wanted Thomas so badly. He sighs. They're not very good at covering their tracks, but they are good at covering up their intentions, so much so that I almost think there's another party here that's helping them do it. I don't see why Sloan or Wolfe would care about covering up the Gallery incident at all, let alone tamper with evidence or the scene of the crime. It's strange. There's a lot going on here. AM Arbi: Marcus: He looks back at Fred who's been quiet this whole time. You okay? AM Omniance: Fred: I'm a vampire. She just says it plainly. AM Arbi: Marcus: He blinks and looks back at Odie and then back at her. What? AM Omniance: Fred: She sighs. That's what I am. She's looking down. ...That's what happened when Thomas took me to his gallery, he bit me. That's what probably happened to the hobo in the alleyway who lost a lot of blood. She nods. I'm an actual real-life vampire, with some abilities that I've been figuring out how to use the passed week. AM | Edited 6:21:06 AM Arbi: Marcus: He stays silent for a moment before he stands up, walking up to Fred while she's looking down and stopping in front of her. He places his hand on her wrist, like he was about to hold her hand. He hesitates to speak but he does. A week ago I would've thought you were joking but... after all of this. He waits until she looks up at him. Your skin... that's why it's pale now, isn't it? AM Omniance: Fred: She nods slowly. Yeah. Odie: There's no such thing as vampires. Fred: She suddenly look annoyed, and looks to Odie. What? Odie: There's no such thing. He shrugs, unsure of what else she wants him to say. Fred: She opens her mouth, sharp canines being obvious, before closing it. You believe in ghosts, witches, and snake people, but not Vampires? Odie: I've done a metric ton of research into paranormal "species" every instance of vampire is folklore at best... Can I see those teeth again? Fred: She smiles. Odie: He shakes his head. ...You know my friend said he was turning into a vampire once, and I didn't believe him either. Fred: Her smile fades. That's such an incredibly arbitrary thing to be suspicious about, after everything you've talked about. Odie: So does sunlight kill you? Fred: I burned my damn thumb off testing it out, so yes. Odie: Stake through the heart? Fred: She crosses her arms over her chest. Odie: He looks at Marcus for a moment, then back to her. After another moment he realizes something, putting the pieces together. ...You don't really know, do you? Thomas bit you, then you went to the gallery the next night to get some answers, but you were attacked... The next time you saw him was probably at the Flagship, but he was taken away... You're completely new to what you are... Fred: She sighs, annoyed. ...Yeah. She looks at Marcus. ...But it was comforting knowing that... You were... Not normal, like me... AM Arbi: Marcus: He smiles and gently squeezes her hand, feeling happy that he was comforting her without even knowing it before. Afterwards he looks back at Odie. You really didn't know vampires were real? He says this even though he just found out himself. AM Omniance: Odie: He shakes his head a little. Someone's done a damn good job of covering them up, and making them seem like a myth. He looks at Fred. So aside from the ten-ton punch, what else can you do? Fred: Move really fast... And... Convince people to do things... It's hard to explain. Odie: You couldn't convince me to let you go that week back? Fred: I didn't know about it then... Odie Well, can you convince me to do something now? Fred: She looks around, then looks back at Odie. Take a seat on your bed. Odie: He looks around, the shrugs. No? Fred: She looks into Odie's eyes. Take a seat on your bed. Odie: His green eyes almost seem to glint in the light and scratches the back of his head. ...Try again? Fred: She furrows her eyebrows. ...What's wrong with your eyes? Odie: Nothing. He shrugs. Fred: She closes her eyes and lets out a quiet sigh, then opens them, looking at Odie. Take a seat on your bed. Odie: Maybe it's a performance issue. He looks at Marcus for a moment. Fred: She blinks a few times. No, there's something wrong with you. I can... See it. An aura radiate around Odie after a moment, it's alternating between a pink-ish red, grey, and emerald green. ...What was that mist you turned into that night? Odie: That's a really long story, and maybe I'll tell it to you guys, if we become friends. He smiles, almost innocently. But I'm not going into details about my past, because I don't trust either of you enough, yet. AM Arbi: Marcus: He looks back at Fred. What did he turn into? AM | Edited 6:52:13 AM Omniance: Fred: Turn into? She seems to break from a trance and looks at Marcus. Oh... When I attack him, her turned into a white mist and avoided me. She looks back at him. I was so... Stricken at the time that I didn't think anything of it, but later I realized something was off about him, which is why I came back here, know he'd probably understand that there's something strange going on. AM Arbi: Marcus: He nods a bit and look at Odie. I'm glad none of this scares you because I can't think of anyone else we'd be able to tell... AM Omniance: Odie: Your cousin, Ricky. He worked with me at that detective agency. You could definitely talk to him about it. He nods a little. AM Arbi: Marcus: Ricky... I... I don't think I could tell him. AM Omniance: Odie: ...Wouldn't he already know? That... You know... You passed? He wasn't at the funeral? AM Arbi: Marcus: That's exactly why I can't tell him or any of my family. Odie, I'm dead. These people went to my funeral... I can't talk to them after putting them through all that. He looks down, just feeling bad about this whole situation. AM Omniance: Odie: I understand that... He remembers what his mom went through after the car accident, during his possession. He looks up. So I won't tell him if I see him. I won't tell anyone, not like I have much of a reason to. Fred: She smiles a little. Odie: ...So a vampire and a ghost... At least you're both dead together. AM | Edited 7:08:16 AM Arbi: Marcus: He shrugs a bit, almost agreeing with what he said as he takes a seat at the nearby desk. He sighs, still unsure of a lot of things. Would be nice to know all the perks of being a ghost. AM Omniance: Odie: Yeah... Maybe we can get to bottom of why you're so different... He looks at Fred for a moment, then back to Marcus. No offense, but I've had a few friends die and... None of them are still around. AM Arbi: Marcus: We need to find someone that knows a lot about ghosts, an expert. AM Omniance: Odie: I could call some people. He shrugs a little. AM Arbi: Marcus: He raises an eyebrow at Odie. Who do you know that could help? AM Omniance: Odie: My old boss, a few others maybe. AM Arbi: Marcus: He just looks at him, unsure if they can help. How many ghosts did your old boss talk to? AM Omniance: Odie: He shrugs. There's another woman I think I can call too. He moves his hair from his eyes. And a few others. One of them's gotta know something. AM Arbi: Marcus: He sighs a bit. No harm in trying... AM Omniance: Fred: She looks around the motel. Thanks... For helping after... What I did. I'm sorry. She looks back to Odie. Odie: Well... A few broken ribs isn't too bad. I once got lashed by a whip made of literal hellfire, and it was entirely this stupid kid's fault, but I... Kinda hung out with him still... At least for a little bit. AM Arbi: Marcus: He looks back down at Odie's sling and stands up. I'll let you get some rest and come back in the morning. Thanks again for letting me stay here during the day. AM Omniance: Odie: Yeah... No problem... He mutters under his breath. I hope.